Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

ISLB211124e

Incident date

November 21, 2024

Location

نبحا, Nabha, Lebanon, Baalbek-Hermel, Lebanon

Geolocation

34.177330, 36.220809 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On November 21, 2024, an alleged Israeli airstrike targeted the town of Nabha in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, located in northern Bekaa, eastern Lebanon. The strike resulted in the deaths of at least 10 civilians, including at least four women and one child, and left a minimum of four civilians injured. At least one militant was also likely killed in the same strike.

While the civil defence originally reported on Facebook that the bodies of eight civilians had been recovered and four others had been wounded and pulled from the rubble, later reports emerged as the search for missing persons under the rubble continued. Twitter/X user @Sa7atPlBreaking shared that the Lebanese news agency had updated the death toll to 11, which later rose to 12 according to multiple users, including @kon_mowaten. Another user, @alhaj_as36022, posted on Twitter/X that the figure had reportedly increased to 15.

Posts on social media, including a Facebook post by user @Nana.raad, identified 11 of the fatalities as Mohammed Hussein Harb Amhaz, his wife Hawra Madlaj, their young daughter Sama Muhammad Hussein Amhaz, Watfa Madlaj, Souad Medlej, Souad’s son Abbas Adnan Raad, Ward Amhaz, Hussein Kamel Madlaj, Hassan Hussein Madlaj, and Iman Ali al-Sablani. This post also mentioned Issa Hussein Madlej. However, an image later shared on Facebook by Zahraa Medlej Mazloum appeared to show Issa Hussein Madlej in a Hezbollah uniform, with the Hezbollah logo imprinted beneath him. As such, Issa Hussein Madlej has been classified as a militant.

Testimonies mourning the civilian casualties of this attack were widely shared across social media. Many users posted tributes under the phrase “Martyrs of the town of Nabha” accompanied by pictures of the victims smiling and other pictures of the victims surrounded by family members. Other social media users mourned the loss of the young daughter of Mohammed Amhaz and Hawra Madlaj, Sama Muhammed Hussein Amhaz. One post by the family on Facebook stated that “the smallest coffins that leave our home are the heaviest on our hearts” while other social media tributes described Sama as the “youngest and happy today from the Nabha massacre”. These tributes also shared photos of young Sama, who appeared to be a toddler, showing her in a yellow and red animal-themed jumper smiling into the camera. A photograph shared of Sama’s father, Mohammed, shows him in a black cap and shirt. Another photograph, shared by Facebook user Kamal Raad, showed Abbas in glasses and a black puffer jacket, and his mother Souad in a white hijab; Kamal mourned the “brutality” of their deaths.

Videos of the aftermath of the attack were also shared on social media, showing the rubble and destruction of what was once the town of Nabha. The footage depicted an excavator moving debris while civil defence personnel used lights to search through the wreckage left in the wake of the attack.

All sources attributing responsibility for the airstrike identified the Israeli military as the belligerent.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Mohammed Hussein Harb Amhaz محمد حسين حرب امهز
Adult male killed
Hawra Madlaj حوراء مدلج
Adult female killed
Sama Muhammad Hussein Amhaz سما محمد حسين أمهز
Child female killed
Ward Amhaz ورد امهز
Age unknown female killed

Family members (2)

Souad Medlej Raad سعاد مدلج رعد
Adult female killed
Abbas Adnan Raad عباس عدنان رعد
Adult male killed

Family members (2)

Hussein Kamel Madlaj حسين كامل مدلج
Age unknown male killed
Hassan Hussein Madlaj حسن حسين مدلج
Age unknown male killed

The victims were named as:

Watfa Madlaj وطفة مدلج
Age unknown female killed
Iman Ali al-Sablani ايمان علي السبلاني
Age unknown male killed

Geolocation notes (3) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a residential building being struck in the village of Nabha (نبحا) in Baalbek-Hermel Governorate (بعلبك – الهرمل). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location down to the following exact coordinates: 34.177330, 36.220809.

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  • Imagery:
    @jocelynageryes

  • Imagery:
    @jocelynageryes

  • Imagery:
    Google Earth

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 15
  • (1 child4 women5 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1

Sources (42) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (27) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Nana.raad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Kamal raad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Kamal raad
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Loulou shaqeer
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    Source: Babliyati
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Jamal jaffan
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Med news network
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Amhaz family gathering
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    Source: Tripoli media live
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    Source: Our martyrs
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: @malaksh88
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    Source: @AmhazAbeer
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    Source: Banine amhaz
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    Source: Lebanon in our hearts
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    Source: Yajnoub2
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Our village is better
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    Source: bintjbeil.org
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    Source: bintjbeil.org
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Yajnoub 2
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Source: Zahraa medlej mazloum
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    Source: Medlej mod
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    Source: Zahraa medlej mazloum
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  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

Israeli Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Israeli Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    10 – 15
  • (1 child4 women5 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Israeli Military
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1

Sources (42) [ collapse]